Former Chargers safety Paul Oliver died Tuesday night from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Georgia home, a Cobb County police spokesman said Wednesday. He was 29.

A family member reported the suicide about 6:40 p.m. on the 2000 block of Fairport Way in Marietta. His wife, Chelsea Oliver, and two juveniles witnessed the incident, according to a police report. Oliver had two children.

His family confirmed the passing in a Wednesday statement.

"We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers," the statement read. "We request privacy in the wake of this tragic loss."

On Wednesday, news of Oliver's death spread to San Diego.

The ex-Georgia Bulldog was a 2007 fourth-round supplemental Chargers draft pick who appeared in 57 NFL games, all with San Diego from 2008 to 2011. Eight of his 12 starts came in 2010 when he recorded a career-high 59 tackles and an interception. He finished his career with 124 tackles, one sack and four picks.

NFL Life Line

Current and former NFL players, coaches, other team or league staff members, and their family members can access a free, independent hotline for help dealing with a serious life issue. The NFL Life Line is a confidential 24-hour resource which connects those in crisis to trained medical professionals. It can be accessed via phone at (800) 506-0087 or via online chat at NFLLifeLine.org.

“Everyone in the Chargers family is sad today after hearing the news about Paul," the team said in a statement. "He was part of our family for five years. At just 29 years old, he still had a lifetime in front of him. Right now all of our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this most difficult time."

Oliver's death was met with shock and sadness among players, many of whom were teammates with him. Some who weren't teammates had still met Oliver, who lived in San Diego for a period of time after his playing career.

Safety Eric Weddle learned of his death from a former teammate.

He described Oliver as "charismatic, funny but also quiet and reserved," someone who would slip in a subtle joke and always be smiling.

"He never said a bad word about anyone. Just a good genuine guy," Weddle said. "From the moment he got here, he was up front. Loved the game. You could always count on him. Every year, it seemed like he was a backup who could play special teams. Then he got into games, and he always played well. You'd never think of something like this happening to a guy like that. It's surreal, really. ...

"We used to have some side jokes, and some of them still carry on today even though he's not here. Even more so now, we'll think about him every day, just what he brought to us and how he was as a person. ... I wasn't thinking about football much today; that's for sure. It's a sad day."